The ending is neigh for “Best of the Streak” as we head to WrestleMania XXVIII where Triple H shows up to face The Undertaker for their third WM main event clash. The thing I love here is that it proves sometimes, that the third time’s not the charm.
The Road to WrestleMania XXVIII
So, Taker was carted out of the arena following Taker vs. Triple H II at WM 27, he was an aging gunslinger finishing up some lingering business with foes from decades past. He had defeated his last foe and it was time for a well-deserved rest. At least for a year because getting spanked in one WrestleMania main event just doesn’t do it for D-Generation X alumni. Not only do they have to get spanked by the Undertaker twice, but it must also be at consecutive WrestleManias.
Only this time, it wasn’t Triple H coming for Taker. The Dead Man showed up and challenged Triple H as he didn’t care for how WM 27 ended for him. He didn’t want fans to be left with that image of a very mortal Undertaker having to be wheeled out of the arena and he didn’t want that as the bookend of his career.
Triple H on the hand either didn’t want anymore smoke with WrestleMania Taker—very different from In Your House or weekly TV Taker—or he figured a better victory for him would be to keep the Phenom from the ending he wanted.
In an interesting turn from the year prior when he tried to prevent his friend from facing the Undertaker after he failed in back-to-back attempts, Shawn Michaels goads Triple H into accepting. I like this change in HBK because it’s similar to Triple H’s case. Either HBK felt that he should take this chance to take a living achievement that no one else could take from him or he was of the “No, Taker clapped me twice and now you gotta be clapped twice” mindset.
At any rate, after the Undertaker questions Hunter’s intestinal fortitude, the Game accepts his challenge. The Hell in a Cell is to be the battleground at WrestleMania XXVIII and HBK will be their special guest referee.
The Undertaker vs. Triple H III: Hell in a Cell
Honestly, this was the perfect match for the final battle between these two. Both have a history inside the Cell with Taker wrestling the guest referee in the first HIAC bout and both men having the best track record considering how many they’ve done. The Hell in a Cell is perfect for brawlers and these two did not disappoint.
On that note, the match went as they tend to go when big guys are involved. Fists are thrown in-ring and they fought outside where Taker just…eats people alive in the Cell. Also, weapons came into play because they’re under the ring the whole night. Even the sledgehammer? Especially the sledgehammer, this is a Triple H match, folks. If the sledgie isn’t under the ring, it slipped Hunter’s mind that day.
Things moved on to both men busting out their finishers only to turn up near-falls. HBK becomes involved but even his partiality wasn’t enough to put the Dead Man away. We get a finishing stretch that was pretty common in WWE where one big Tombstone doesn’t get the job done, Taker has enough juice to kick out one last Pedigree and spike the Game with one final Tombstone.
While I enjoyed the No Holds Barred match from the year before more than this one, this earned its spot as one of the best of the Streak. It had all the thrills and spills you except from an epic WrestleMania main event.
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